A proposed “quantum landmine” would put a future Bitcoin thief’s own BTC at risk. Shared on November 4, the idea is a thought experiment that assumes quantum-safe outputs and new validation rules. It is not a safeguard users can rely on today.
In the example, moving 1 BTC from a vulnerable output would require another 1 BTC as collateral from a quantum-safe output.
An attacker would have to wait before spending the combined funds. Thirty days is an example; the waiting period has not been finalized.
The owner would need to prepare hidden proof of ownership before quantum attacks became possible.
If an attacker later tried to move the coins, the owner could reveal that proof during the waiting period and claim both the original BTC and the attacker’s collateral.
Legitimate owners would also need matching collateral. Owners who lost their private keys could not prepare this proof, and enforcement details remain unwritten.
This is still a proposal; adoption is unconfirmed.
References: Quantum Landmines and Vulnerable Coin Auctions
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Anita Fors (Chalmers), CC BY-SA 4.0
